Abstract

The paper examines the personal characteristics, previous drink driving records, entry to the courts and court decisions for1000 offenders convicted in the Hobart Courts of Petty Sessions for alcohol-related driving offences. It is shown thatsouthern Tasmania has a very high rate of recidivism, that a large proportion chose legal representation and that thesentences of individual magistrates vary substantially even when a large number of factors are held constant. It is suggestedthat solicitors use adjournments to steer clients towards particular magistrates and some options for review of the currentsystem are outlined.